I feel like...

1. Racing my bike at 9,000-11,000 ft isn't that bad. Until you try to walk up three flights of strairs to the condo.


2. Warming up for a race wearing base layer, jersey, vest, arm-warmers, and a zip up pink sweat shirt is over-kill. If i had been in the IE.
   
3. 80 with a chance of a snow storm is just your average day in Southern Utah.


4. 4 girls, 4 bikes, 4 loads of junk can in fact fit in my car


5. 9 people in one condo makes a pretty cheap "vacation": $44 each for three nights
   
6. 9 people in one condo makes for no hot water.
   

WEEKEND HIGHS and LOWS

• UP wearing arm warmers - i can't remember the last time i was cold


• UP watching Matt, Maureen and Joey race Super D. (although Shelli and Jason and i sat on a cold picnic table for 45 minutes staring at the mountain side waiting for the "show"). Too bad Jamie wasn't there (down..)


• UP working my mad Tuesday-night skills on the 28 minute road and dirt climb. At 13% with Krista and Amanda.


• DOWN coming across Chloe Forsman, U23 National Champion , who had gotten caught in a rut and had a nasty crash. She is super cool, and super fast. I stopped and got her bike off the trail and went into first-aid mode to asses the situation. She had a NASTY gash under her right knee and would end up getting 25 stitches!! I stayed with her for probably 20 minutes or so. I tied one of her super-fancy Luna arm warmers around her knee, put her chain back on as we started to walk/ride down the trail in search of help. A fisherman was walking up the trail calling for us, since Maureen had given him the heads up. I hope Chloe is ok!


• UP/DOWN from then on, i was in ride, not race mode. I stopped and talked to a guy suffering severely from the altitude, you know, the talk it out. I talked to another pro female who was "done" and had a flat and in no way wanted to fix it, just wanted OUT. i stopped to talk to the water station people to tell them what i had found on my reconnaissance mission. I was completely last, but i had an awesome ride, on fantastic trails in beautiful weather. That's all i need.


• Things I Tried to Give away: 1 ) Pink polka-dot PJ tank. I tried to get Chloe to let me wrap it around her knee. i was wearing it because i was FREEZING and had no base layer! 2 ) My tube 3 ) my arm warmers 4) my bike - a guy had a bad mechanical and said he was SO tired of walking out. We were about 1.5 miles from the finish, but he wouldn't take mine. hmph.
  

AWKWARD!

I was cooked by the time i got out. I had missed my feeds and had no food on me. it was cold and extremely windy. i re-layered and went into the lodge where they were having awards. Larry Longo caught my eye and what ensued was the WORST, but the BEST 20 minutes of my year.

I became the PODIUM GIRL. Picture this. Helmet head. Check. Sweaty. Check. All chamied-out with layers and miss-matched sweatshirt. Check. I had leg warmers on, so they were battling with my shorts for territory, creating that "lump" that encircles even the sveltest of thighs. It was horrible. and i was in front of everyone.

It gets worse. I a giving awards to RACE WINNERS for pro men and women. OLYMPIANS!!! National champions, World-cup podium finishers. I was flabbergasted. Women i race against, or at least line up behind. There was paparazzi, cheering, and yelling. And each athlete was headed straight for me.

I didn't know if i should smile, look them in the eye, give them some coy word of congratulations. I began to sweat. It was horrible.

My defining moment came when it was time for the men's top 5 for the race. They all wear hats and sunglasses and about 5 feet out from me, began to bend their heads ever so slightly, assume i would smoothly lasso them as they slowed only slightly on their way to the blocks.

I got caught up on Ross Schnell. Now some people know i have an "affinity" towards him, and they were laughing in the crowd. I think i turned beet red as he approached, i fumbled, and caught the bill of his hat. Which then caught his hand, and we were momentarily intertwined. I stuttered, and all he said to me was "ROOKIE MOVE." i will remember it forever.

I also got to put a medal around over-all series winner and Canadian Olympian Geoff Kabush. I saw him race the Redlands Classic one year. I cheered very loudly during the crit. He wears fancy skinsuits, that look real nice.